Corrective Jaw Surgery

Corrective jaw, or orthognathic, surgery is performed by an oral and maxillofacial surgeon (OMS) to correct a wide range of minor and major skeletal and dental irregularities, including the misalignment of jaws and teeth. Surgery can improve chewing, speaking and breathing. While the patient’s appearance may be dramatically enhanced as a result of their surgery, orthognathic surgery is performed to correct functional problems.

Following are some of the conditions that may indicate the need for
corrective jaw surgery:

Difficulty chewing, or biting food

Difficulty swallowing

Chronic jaw or jaw joint (TMJ) pain and headache

Excessive wear of the teeth

Open bite (space between the upper and lower teeth when the mouth is closed)

Unbalanced facial appearance from the front, or side

Facial injury

Birth defects

Receding lower jaw and chin

Protruding jaw

Inability to make the lips meet without straining

Chronic mouth breathing

Sleep apnea (breathing problems when sleeping, including snoring)

Your dentist, orthodontist and OMS will work together to determine whether you are a candidate for corrective jaw, or orthognathic, surgery. The OMS determines which corrective jaw surgical procedure is appropriate and performs the actual surgery. It is important to understand that your treatment, which will probably include orthodontics before and after surgery, may take several years to complete. Your OMS and orthodontist understand that this is a long-term commitment for you and your family, and will try to realistically estimate the time required for your treatment.

Dental implant surgery is, of course, surgery, and is best done by a trained surgeon. Your oral and maxillofacial surgeon (OMS) has the specialized education and training in the complexities of the bone, skin, muscles and nerves involved, to ensure you get the best possible results.

Implants are made of titanium metal that “fuses” with the jawbone through a process called “osseointegration.” There’s no short cut to get around that process, and it usually takes several months once the implant is put into your jawbone. Osseointegration, however, is why implants never slip or make embarrassing noises like dentures, and why bone loss is usually not a problem.

After more than 20 years of service, the vast majority of dental implants first placed by oral and facial surgeons in the United States continue to function at peak performance. More importantly, the recipients of those early dental implants are still satisfied they made the right choice.